Cancer victims were given new hope today after North East scientists revealed pioneering work to fight the killer cells.

Families of young sufferers say the findings could prove vital in helping to stop the condition returning.

Medics in Newcastle have discovered new ways of disarming the cancer cells' defences, making it more vulnerable to attack by chemotherapy drugs.

If follows ongoing research at Newcastle University on a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors.

It means the cells' in-built defence mechanism is prevented from charging to the rescue when chemotherapy drugs halt their ability to multiply.

Susan and Kevin Bryden were forced to watch as son Ross, 13, endured five painful sessions of chemotherapy.

The teenager, from Gilesgate, Durham City, was diagnosed with a tumour that spread across his brain.

Susan, 44, who works part-time for a bank, said: "It was covering a large section of his brain and had intermingled with his good brain cells.

"He had to have chemotherapy but had an adverse reaction and lapsed into a coma. Anything which makes chemotherapy more successful for those receiving it can only be a good thing.

"It's encouraging to hear there is so much good work going on for the future."

Early research suggests that giving PARP inhibitors along side chemotherapy drugs may make the chemotherapy treatment more effective.

Understanding more about how the PARP inhibitors work in cancer cells will help the team develop the potential new treatment and establish the best way to deliver the drugs to patients.

The researchers looked at how cancer cells reacted when given PARP inhibitors alongside a type of chemotherapy called topoisomerase I poisons.

Dr Nicola Curtin, who has been leading the research, said: "PARP inhibitors offer the promise of improved chemotherapy treatment for cancer. The Newcastle team is currently running a clinical trial of PARP inhibitors alongside a drug called temozolomide, which is used to treat melanoma skin cancers.

"The finding that they improve the anti-cancer activity of topoisomerase 1 poisons indicates they may be useful in treatment of bowel cancer."

Newcastle scientists are world leaders in PARP research. In October they played host to an international audience of researchers and doctors at a three-day conference at Gateshead's Hilton Hotel. Professor John Toy, Cancer Research UK's medical director, says: "It's really important to increase our understanding of the way cancer cells survive so that not only new single but also combination drug treatments can be successfully developed."